Cocoa Puffs Popcorn Balls

I am sure that we all had a favorite breakfast cereal growing up, right? Well, mine was most definitely Cocoa Puffs. I have been a chocolate lover for a very long time. Ha. As a kid, probably my favorite thing about the cereal was not only the cereal itself (crunch, chocolatey goodness—yes! sign me up!), but how it turned your milk into chocolate milk by the time you were finished. Yum! So I was really excited when General Mills reached out wanting to work on something together to celebrate Cocoa Puffs’ 60th birthday! Call me a sucker for nostalgia, but creating a simple recipe to help them celebrate this milestone is pretty dang cool.

I always find myself making popcorn balls around this time of year, because again, it’s one of those nostalgic childhood treats that I just can’t get over. Using just three ingredients, you can make the most delicious (and probably easiest) chocolate twist on classic popcorn balls. These are sure to be a hit with both adults or kiddos; I know I loved them. But, of course, I’m a member of the lifetime chocolate lovers club, after all.

There are a couple keys to making popcorn balls of any variety. After you make the marshmallow batter, pour it over the cereal (or popcorn) and mix. Allow it to cool some (just a couple minutes) before using well buttered hands to form the balls. And yes, I’m serious, buttering your hands will make a big difference! It feels weird if you’ve never done it before, but it totally works.

Of course, these Cocoa Puffs popcorn balls can be enjoyed all on their own, but you could also dress up a birthday cake with them if you’re celebrating. 😉 Thanks for letting me share some childhood nostalgia with you. xo. Emma

Cocoa Puffs Popcorn Balls

Ingredients

Instructions

On a large baking sheet with a lip, spread the cereal in one layer. Also have a small bowl of sprinkles and counter space covered in wax paper prepped.

In a medium sauce pan or pot, melt 1/4 cup butter over medium heat. Use a heatproof rubber spatula or wooden spoon to gently swirl the butter all along the bottom and up the sides of the pan as it melts. Then add the marshmallows. Stir so all the marshmallows get coated in the butter as they begin to melt. Continue to stir occasionally until they have melted completely.

Pour over the cereal and gently toss so all the pieces get coated in the marshmallow mixture. Allow to cool for a minute or two.

Butter your clean hands and then gently press the cereal into balls about the size of a fist or a little smaller. Coat in sprinkles if using. Place on wax paper and continue forming balls until you've used up all the cereal.

Oh lordy! I used to eat Count Chocula growing up. I was a really tiny runt kid with a high metabolism/high energy at that age, and one time I remember eating SEVEN bowls of it in a row before school…and then throwing up immediately after, being a solid 35 lbs at best, maybe? LOL. It never stopped me from eating it every day. By the end of kindergarten I think I was down to 3 bowls a day. lolololol